Guide
Self-Employment TaxContent CreatorFICAUSASelf-Employment Tax for Content Creators: The 15.3% You Must Plan For
Self-employment tax is the single biggest tax shock for new content creators. When you had a W-2 job, your employer paid half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. As a self-employed creator, you pay the full 15.3% yourself. On $60,000 in net profit, that is $8,478 — before income tax. Understanding and planning for SE tax is critical.
Last updated: February 26, 2026
Step-by-Step Guide
Calculate your SE tax liability
Multiply your net Schedule C profit by 92.35%, then by 15.3%. This is your self-employment tax for the year, owed in addition to income tax.
Include SE tax in your quarterly estimates
When calculating quarterly estimated tax payments, include both income tax AND self-employment tax. Many creators underpay because they forget SE tax.
Claim the deductible half
On Schedule 1 of Form 1040, deduct 50% of your SE tax as an adjustment to income. This reduces your income tax (but not your SE tax).
Evaluate S-Corp election
If your net profit consistently exceeds $50,000/year, consult a CPA about S-Corp election. This is the most effective way to reduce SE tax legally.
Maximize legitimate deductions
Every additional dollar of business deductions saves 15.3 cents in SE tax plus your marginal income tax rate. Track every legitimate expense.
How self-employment tax works
Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare — the same taxes employees pay through FICA payroll withholding. The difference: employees pay 7.65% and their employer pays 7.65%. Self-employed individuals pay both halves: 15.3% total.
The breakdown:
- Social Security: 12.4% on net earnings up to $168,600 (2026 wage base — check IRS for annual updates)
- Medicare: 2.9% on ALL net earnings (no cap)
- Additional Medicare Tax: 0.9% on net earnings above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly)
The calculation:
1. Start with net profit from Schedule C
2. Multiply by 92.35% (this adjustment exists because employees do not pay FICA on the employer's share)
3. Apply 15.3% to the result (or 12.4% Social Security on amounts up to the wage base + 2.9% Medicare on all)
Example on $75,000 net profit:
- $75,000 × 0.9235 = $69,263 (SE tax base)
- Social Security: $69,263 × 0.124 = $8,589
- Medicare: $69,263 × 0.029 = $2,009
- Total SE tax: $10,598
This $10,598 is in ADDITION to your federal and state income tax.
The deductible half of SE tax
The IRS lets you deduct 50% of your self-employment tax as an adjustment to income. This is an above-the-line deduction on Schedule 1 of Form 1040 — you get it whether you itemize or take the standard deduction.
Why this exists: Employers deduct their half of FICA as a business expense. The deductible half of SE tax replicates this benefit for self-employed individuals.
Example continuing from above ($75,000 net profit):
- Total SE tax: $10,598
- Deductible half: $5,299
- This $5,299 reduces your adjusted gross income, lowering your income tax
- At a 22% marginal rate, this saves approximately $1,166 in income tax
Important: The deductible half reduces your INCOME tax, not your SE tax. You still owe the full SE tax amount. The deduction simply lowers the income on which you calculate income tax.
Legal strategies to reduce self-employment tax
Strategy 1: S-Corp Election (most impactful)
Elect S-Corp taxation for your LLC. Pay yourself a reasonable salary (subject to payroll tax) and take remaining profits as distributions (not subject to SE tax). Effective when net profit exceeds $50,000/year. Potential savings: $5,000-$20,000+/year depending on income.
Strategy 2: Maximize business deductions
Every dollar of legitimate business expense reduces your net profit, which reduces your SE tax. $1,000 in additional deductions saves $153 in SE tax ($1,000 × 15.3%).
Strategy 3: Retirement contributions
SEP IRA contributions (up to 25% of net self-employment earnings, max $69,000 in 2026) or Solo 401(k) contributions (up to $23,500 employee + 25% employer, max $69,000 total) reduce your income tax but NOT self-employment tax. Still valuable for overall tax reduction.
Strategy 4: Health insurance deduction
Self-employed health insurance premiums are deductible above-the-line, reducing your income tax. This does not reduce SE tax but lowers your overall tax burden.
Strategy 5: Hire family members
Paying your spouse or children for legitimate work shifts income and can reduce the overall family SE tax burden. Children under 18 employed by a parent's sole proprietorship are exempt from FICA. Payments must be for real work at a reasonable rate.
What does NOT reduce SE tax:
- Standard deduction
- Itemized deductions
- Retirement plan contributions (reduce income tax only)
- Health insurance deduction (reduces income tax only)
Disclaimer: This is general information, not tax advice. Tax reduction strategies must be implemented properly to be legal. Consult a CPA before making structural changes to your business.
Pro Tips
- Self-employment tax is regressive — the 12.4% Social Security portion stops at $168,600, so creators earning above that threshold pay a lower effective SE rate
- If you have both W-2 wages and self-employment income, your W-2 wages count toward the Social Security wage base first — you may owe less SE tax than you think
- The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax kicks in at $200,000 (single) — there is no employer match on this portion, so it is 0.9%, not 1.8%
- SE tax is calculated on Schedule SE and paid with your Form 1040 — there is no separate payment process
- Consider increasing your quarterly estimated payments in high-income quarters — the IRS calculates underpayment penalties per quarter, not annually